October 23, 2003

A&E > Zodiac Killer News

The Zodiac
I'm a true crime buff, and the Zodiac is one of my favorite unsolved cases. Zodiac was like a comic book super villian come to life. He wrote letters to the newspapers giving details of past crimes and clues to his identity using ciphers. In his most famous episode, he wore a costume (seen at right) during the murder. Zodiac committed his murders in California. Among the many suspects are infamous figures like Charles Manson and Ted Kaczynski.

Arthur Leigh Allen is the best-known suspect, having been fingered by Robert Graysmith in ZODIAC, the first book to cover the case. Interestingly, Allen wore a Zodiac diving watch whose cross and circle insignia matched that in the killer's letters. The cross and circle may also be related to the radians theory of Zodiac's victim selection process. Allen was later cleared by DNA evidence. He died in 1992.

Rick Marshal is a better bet. He was a machinist and teletype operator, and worked as a projectionist at a small theater. That may be significant, since one Zodiac letter mentioned The Red Phantom (the name of a silent movie) and the Zodiac persona may have been inspired by a 1930s movie, Charlie Chan at Treasure Island, that involved a San Francisco villain named Zodiac.

New Developments

  • Tom Voigt has the unreleased Zodiac letter sent to a TV station in 1978.
  • There's a Zodiac movie in production: In Control of All Things.
  • Another suspect in the news is 54 year old convicted killer William Mentzer, though some of the facts don't seem to fit.
  • There's a new book coming soon, with a new suspect. Mike Kelleher found the suspect by an unorthodox method. He knew that Zodiac liked sending letters to newspapers. He surmised that Zodiac might have written letters to the editors of California newspapers using his real name prior to committing any murders. Kelleher found a letter to the editor that matched Zodiac's writing style, researched its author... and found a picture of him in a magazine that matched the police composite sketch of Zodiac. The 81 year old suspect is still living. UPDATE December 26, 2004: more on this theory
Posted by lesjones



Comments

So, when does the movie series start?!

If others like the Zodiac killer as much as we do, perhaps it could break some records (though not for Bond films) with an apropo dozen.

Each film could explore a different possibility, perhaps also different directors, but almost certainly a variety for the lead actors - a dozen, at least. It could be like a docudrama, but creepy.

Posted by: toys at October 25, 2003

I was wondering if you could do an interview with me for my school project about the Zodiac Killer. Any little thing that you know will help me. Please write back as soon as you can. Thanks.

Posted by: Alyssa at January 03, 2004

Alyssa: thanks, but I'm not realy an authority on the Zodiac killer. Check one of the links above. The guy who runs Zodiackiller.com does interviews. Good luck!

(posted and emailed)

Posted by: Les Jones at January 04, 2004

i am actualaly writing a paper on the zodiac and if you could give just the slightest bit of information it would be the biggest help.

Posted by: red at May 05, 2004

I'd like to correct a few points if I may.

1) Charles Manson is not actually a suspect, but was in on it. Dr. Howard Davis' (who wrote "The Zodiac/Manson Connection") theory is that Manson's right-hand-man, Bruce Davis, is the Zodiac.

2) I debunked the Gareth Penn's radian theory many years ago; many discussions can be found at zodiackiller.com's archived message board at http://www.zodiackiller.com/mba/MBA.html.

3) Dr. Zodiac appeared in the 1939 movie, "Charlie Chan at Treasure Island."

4) Tom has posted a copy of the letter, as had Howard Davis. It can be seen at http://www.zodiackiller.com/NewZLetter2.html and http://www.zodiacmurders.com/ch9_letter.html.

5) Mike Kelleher's book, "In Control of All Things," is already out. He also wrote a Zodiac-related novel called "Suspect Zero." The now 85-year-old suspect was actually discovered by myself, not Kelleher, and my research was based on a suggestion by Mike Rodelli (we were working together at the time; he appeared in October 2002 on PrimeTime to discuss that suspect, who was also cleared by DNA as was Arhtur Leigh Allen).

6) There are actually a few movies in production right now; besides "In Control of All Things," there is one by Uli Lommel and another based on Robert Graysmith's "Zodiac Unmasked."

Posted by: Ed Neil at December 25, 2004

Thanks for the corrections, Mike, particularly about the provenance of the Suspect Zero discovery. I corrected the Jackie Chan/Charlie Chan gaffe. That was a howler.

Posted by: Les Jones at December 26, 2004

i need to find real info ont the zodiac killer like his biography help me........

Posted by: melissa edwards at February 23, 2006

The man that has been the focus of the zodiac investigation since the case was reopened in 2000, has passed away on August 26, 2006, at age 78, in Olympia Wa. His identity has never been made public until now, his name is "J.W. Tarrance." Here is the true identity of zodiac.....(http://thezodiackiller.digitalzones.com)

Posted by: Dennis Kaufman at October 03, 2006

I watched all those charlie chan rerun movies long time ago....maybe in early 70s...had to have been before VCR days. Love them all but I do vagley remember seeing that creapy zodiac killer CC movie. It could be the real zodia killer got his name from that or he was just into majic.

Posted by: donna miller at March 20, 2007

I watched all those charlie chan rerun movies long time ago....maybe in early 70s...had to have been before VCR days. Love them all but I do vagley remember seeing that creapy zodiac killer CC movie. It could be the real zodia killer got his name from that or he was just into majic.

Posted by: donna miller at March 20, 2007

hi,my name is joy, i am now 63 years old in the 70s.i worked in a bar in venice ca.he was born in feb.on the 14th dayhe was going to be 45years old he always said he would die at the age of 50.he always wrote me poetry and drew pictures or found pictures or post cards with a water scene when he was going to murder again he would tell me.he would carry a small brown bag under his seat with watches from his victims,he would come into my bar with his hair combed over one way until he was ready to kill againhe then parted his hair down the middle he always left 2 pennies when he got up one side heads and the other side tails he always ordered a bottle of bud.he had no doorhandles on passenger side and a clothes line rope tied on his sidethat reached over to my seat no one could get away he had curtainsbehind i opened them a little he had disguises and cement blocks he usually put a drug in there drink.he and i would talk about many things he asked me why arent you afraid of me like everyone else is he said he got more excited when they showed lots of fear. thats when he pulled out the small bag of watches and he said as he was about to put a watch on me and called me his princes and he was my prince as he put on a mans watch we now belong to one another .i was terrified i could smell death in his van i prayed to god to keep from showing fear because this so far was keeping me alive. i kept all his poems the watch he knew where i lived i tried to always have a friend with me he always left 2 pennies on purpase so i knew he was watching my every move,one night i was alone and my friend gave me a small gun to hold and his pitbull the dog was trained well.when morning came he was gone everyone said to go to the cops and i did they checked everything of his and said he was the zodiac killer so we made plans to set him up .i went in a half hour early got adrink and sat where he always like to sit he called to see if i was there yet igot on the phone and i was having a drink and i bought him a beer and to hurry so we could have a drink together before work he was there in min.when he came in he took a swallow of his beer and said ill be back in amin i left something in my van he was gone to long the cops almost got worried then the phone rang it was for me it was him where are you i asked he yelled at me so loud you son of a bitch you set me up he was gone. he smelled cops all over we blew it now i was scared i hadent seen him for days but i knew he was close by he set me up and he said can i get you after work and we can have coffee i said yes my friend rosie and her boyfriend was with me always so i gave them my car keys and i said to stay close he came and i got in his van he said do you want coffee he said he would get it, i was locked in the only way out is if you opened the door on other side rosie was waiting for me to come in with him but i didnt so she came out into the parking lot and she couldnnt see me he came to the van and 2 coffees he got in an gave me my cup she still didnt see me it was crowded he said drink up why i asked he said he was going to drive up to the beach i said i couldnt because i had to pick up my little girl he got mad and i began to show fear of him and he knew it ok but drink up first iknew it was druged i spilled it on purpose he said ill get more no i have to go home he wouldnt open my door. he was starting his van up open my door he was going to kill me your going with me i cant you have no choice i said god please helpme now all of a sudden the door popped open as if angeles held him down and held open my door to get out.i cryed and said god thankyou. iwas not left alne again i quit my job imoved he was looking all over for me. theres more than that.true story joy---------

Posted by: joy at April 09, 2007

As an expert Cult Investigator and Author of Secret Societies Exposed, I been researching the Zodiac for a few weeks. It's obvious that there are multiple discrepancies in the crime scenes and the Detectives involved. As former Law Enforcement, and Private Detective handling Cult Investigations, I can confidently say, that it was handled by amateur Detectives at all levels. Nonetheless, with the present technological advances in DNA and Forensics this case needs to be re-opened and finalized in order to bring closure to the victims family and justice to the tortured victims. I speculate that Zodiac is still out there....and he will not disclose his true identity until he is confronted with his death bed! One thing is certain, regardless of his malefic crimes, his IQ level surpass the meter. Thus, this unknown serial Killer has never been properly Profiled and this is indicative of no one being able to properly decipher his misleading coded letters! Remember, Zodiac was reaching out and wanted to be apprehended, but not by official Neanderthals!
Moreover, Zodiac communicated "Clues" by mail, phone and at the crime scene!! Hellow can any one see the signs and figure this one out? It's like a Magic trick where you are misdirected and engaged into an illussion..Comments welcome:.

Posted by: Charles Del Campo at September 11, 2007

As an expert Cult Investigator and Author of Secret Societies Exposed, I been researching the Zodiac for a few weeks. It's obvious that there are multiple discrepancies in the crime scenes and the Detectives involved. As former Law Enforcement, and Private Detective handling Cult Investigations, I can confidently say, that it was handled by amateur Detectives at all levels. Nonetheless, with the present technological advances in DNA and Forensics this case needs to be re-opened and finalized in order to bring closure to the victims family and justice to the tortured victims. I speculate that Zodiac is still out there....and he will not disclose his true identity until he is confronted with his death bed! One thing is certain, regardless of his malefic crimes, his IQ level surpass the meter. Thus, this unknown serial Killer has never been properly Profiled and this is indicative of no one being able to properly decipher his misleading coded letters! Remember, Zodiac was reaching out and wanted to be apprehended, but not by official Neanderthals!
Moreover, Zodiac communicated "Clues" by mail, phone and at the crime scene!! Hellow can any one see the signs and figure this one out? It's like a Magic trick where you are misdirected and engaged into an illussion..Comments welcome:.

Posted by: Charles Del Campo at September 11, 2007
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